"I have great affection for the Hammersmith Apollo - or
Odeon, as I prefer to call it. As a rock fan myself I have seen
many great gigs there, including Kiss in 1976. But with the live
music scene in the doldrums, I believe the Apollo's days in its
current guise are numbered."

Whilst talking about his plans to convert the Apollo into a
giant furniture warehouse, Farhi Erl Pitts unfavourably said:

"This part ofWest Londonis currently undergoing massive
redevelopment and regeneration, with many new houses and apartments
being built. I feel there will be great future demand in
Hammersmith and its environs for furniture of all shapes and
sizes.

"But I will do my best to preserve some of this great
building's rock'n'roll identity," he vowed. "Our bed department,
for example, will be called No Sleep Til Hammersmith. I will also
sub-let part of our floorspace to World Of Leather, and get my good
friend Rob Halford to attend the grand opening. Plus any band who
recorded a live album there will be able to claim a free
three-piece suite."

A campaign is being launched to try to prevent Sheik Farhi Erl
Pitts' proposed plans.

Hammersmith resident Frank Dobbs, a former roadie for
outre psych-rockers the Pink
Fairies, has taken up the baton.

"The Apollo is steeped in rock'n'roll history and we cannot
allow it to be sold to a shyster like Farhi Erl Pitts. In the
coming weeks I shall unveil the full details of my plans. However,
I have already enlisted the help of Larry Wallis [Pink
Fairies/early Motörhead guitarist], who will be busking outside the
venue while it stages Wallace And Gromit's Musical Marvels over the
Easter weekend. Any money deposited in Larry's flat cap will be
used to fund the anti-Sheik campaign."